News release from Indiana Michigan Power:
I&M performs aerial saw tree trimming
(June 30, 2014) – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an operating unit of American Electric Power, will begin trimming trees around transmission power lines using a helicopter saw.
The work is not related to storm damage but is routine maintenance and is being done to remove overhanging branches that can cause service reliability problems and are potential safety hazards.
Trimming will take place in the following Indiana counties over the next four weeks:
Allen, DeKalb, Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall, Noble, St. Joseph and Whitley
The work will begin in Allen County today and will continue throughout the counties listed above throughout July (with the exception of July 3-4), Mondays through Saturdays from daybreak to sundown, weather permitting.
I&M has employed Aerial Solutions, Inc. to perform the work using a helicopter tree-trimming saw. The tree-trimming tool is suspended beneath a helicopter by a vertical boom that has multiple motor power saw blades attached. Aerial side trimming is quick, safe and provides at least a 10-foot clearance of the right-of-way areas. The helicopter will fly at an average speed of 5 mph at tree-top heights while working.
Trees are an important part of the environment, and I&M is committed to balancing the importance of trees with the equally important need to deliver electricity safely and reliably. Customers with questions should contact I&M by calling 1-800-311-4634 or visiting the web at IndianaMichiganPower.com.
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